About the institute

The core mission of the Stockholm University Institute for Turkish Studies (SUITS) is to contribute to a broad and well informed understanding of Turkey and Turkish affairs in academia, civil society, government, and the private sector in Europe as well as the rest of the world.

Our Research

SUITS is an interdisciplinary research institute that aims to produce research of the highest international quality within both the social sciences and humanities. Research at the Institute falls under the broad label Turkish studies.

Researchers at SUITS

Paul T Levin, Director

Imren Borsuk, Postdoctoral Researcher

László Szerencsés, Postdoctoral Researcher

Özge Altin, Visiting Researcher

Ilker Kalin, Visiting Researcher

Çağla Demirel, Visiting Researcher

Howard Eissenstat, Nonresident Scholar

Jenny White, Professor Emerita

Seren Selvin Korkmaz

Application to become a visiting research fellow

SUITS is pleased to announce we are accepting applications for fellow residencies. While we unfortunately cannot offer funding ourselves, we offer a supportive research environment and limited travel grants for conferences and/or research to young scholars whose work is funded by other institutions.

There are 2 application rounds each year. Deadlines are 1 November and 1 February with announcements coming later the same month.

Application procedure for visiting fellows

2024

Samuele C. A. Abrami
Howard Eissenstat

2022-2024

Reuben Silverman

2016-2022

Cengiz Candar

2020-2022

Ahmet Gürata

2020-2021

Bengi Ruken Cengiz

2018-2020

Pinar Sayan

2018-2019

Erol Saglam

2017-2018

Åsa Eldén
Bilge Yabancı
Lorenzo d'Orsi

2017

Chiara Maritato

2016-2017

Egemen Bezci
Berna Ekal Simsek
Asli Postaci
Shokoufeh Arvin

2015-2016

Bahar Baser
Ahmet Kaysili

2014-2015

Digdem Soyaltin

2013-2014

Murat Somer
Jozsef Fekete

Policy Briefs

SUITS Policy Briefs give an audience of Swedish and Nordic policymakers, EU policymakers, and a broad audience of interested readers concise overviews of key issues relating to Turkey. In these policy briefs, SUITS invites experts on Turkey to present their analyses and recommendations.

The Armenia-Azerbaijan Peace Process and the Role of Turkey by Thomas de Waal. 2025:4 (December)

Securing Europe with Turkey: Reinforcing mutual resilience in a shifting security order by Alper Coşkun. 2025:3 (October)

The Peace Process and Constitutional Reforms in Turkey by Gudlaug Olafsdottir and Ilker Kalin. 2025:2 (May)

The Turkish Energy Hub and the Hungary Connection: Challenging EU Gas Diversification Efforts by László Szerencsés. 2025:1 (March)

European Waste Trade with Turkey: Roadmap to Sustainability or a False Promise? by Burcu Binbuğa 2024:3 (December)

A Summer Offensive? Explaining Turkey’s Saber-rattling on the Iraqi Border by Aron Lund. 2024:2 (June)

EU-Turkey Relations: Between Cooperation and Conflict by Sinem Adar. 2024:1 (January)

Turkey’s 2023 Elections: Successful Autocracy or Failure of Conventional Parties? by Murat Somer. 2023:3

What should the European Union do in case of an opposition victory in Turkey? 2023:2

What can we expect from Turkey's 2023 elections? by Jenny White. 2023:1

Events and Seminars

Event with Idil Esser, Photo: Kimberly Parke

SUITS hosts open lectures and panel discussions throughout the year and our researchers also participate in open events hosted my numerous other institutions - in Stockholm, nationally and internationally. Please subscribe to our newsletter and follow our Linked In page page to keep updated on future events.

Upcoming events are listed on the calendar page

Research seminars are held throughout the academic year and are aimed at scholars working in related academic fields. Members of the public may be able to participate if space allows. Please contact Paul T. Levin paul.t.levin@suits.su.se for inquiries about Research Seminars.

2025

Asli Kandemir, Book Talk on “Tolerance B/Orders: Tolerance, Power, and Community Cohesion”

Paul Levin and Minna Ålander, “Swedish and Finnish Perceptions of Turkey’s Role in European Security”

Research Applications Roundtable

László Szerencsés, “Turkey-Hungary Cooperation as Contestation of the Liberal International Order (2016–2024)”

Rukaya Al Zayani, “Queer Refugees' Experiences of Waiting, Liminality and Violence in Turkey: Reconceptualization of Time and Space”

Selin Akyuz, “He is narrating: tracing masculinist protection in presidents’ speeches in Turkey”

Haci Cevik, “From Konya to Europe and Back: Kurdish Identity, Migration, and Diaspora Politics in Central Anatolia”

2024

Reuben Silverman

Imren Borsuk

Paul T. Levin, “Area Studies”

Ümit Kurt, “Biographies of violence in the late Ottoman Empire”

Newsletters

Subcribe to receive updates on policy briefs, upcoming events, and the ways in which SUITS is having an impact on academia, the policy community and the broader public.

Subcribe to our newsletter

SUITS Newsletter Fall 2025 "Publications, CEST news and more"

SUITS Newsletter Spring 2025 "SUITS’ media contributions – a small institute with an outsized impact"

SUITS Newsletter Winter 2025 "SUITS welcomes new scholars"

SUITS Newsletter Fall 2024 "9th annual CEST held in Copenhagen"

SUITS Newsletter Spring 2024 "Turkey continues to surprise and SUITS continues to make sense of it"

SUITS Newsletter Winter 2023 "SUITS 10th Anniversary Event"

SUITS Newsletter Spring 2023 "SUITS Policy Brief Series"

SUITS Newsletter Winter 2022 "SUITS in the news: An important moment in relations between Turkey and Sweden"

SUITS Newsletter 2022 June pdf, 1.5 MB. “Spotlight on a broad and well-informed understanding”

SUITS Newsletter 2022 January pdf, 1.3 MB. “SUITS in transition: Revitalisation, publications, opportunities and partnerships”

SUITS Newsletter 2021 May pdf, 660.5 kB. “Letter from the director: Academic freedom, CEST events and our move”

SUITS Newsletter 2020 January pdf, 1.3 MB. "SUITS to expand CEST activities"

SUITS Newsletter 2019 January pdf, 728.6 kB. "SUITS in our 5th year"

SUITS Newsletter 2018 July pdf, 572.6 kB. "Highlights from the spring"

SUITS Newsletter 2017 December pdf, 689.8 kB. "Highlights from the fall"

SUITS Newsletter 2016 2017 Spring pdf, 891.8 kB. "Letter from the director on independent research"

Organisation

The Stockholm University Institute for Turkish Studies – (SUITS) is an independent crossdisciplinary research institute within the social sciences and humanities academic fields. SUITS was established on 1 October 2012 and publicly inaugurated on March 12, 2013. The institute was first located at the Department of Asian, Middle Eastern and Turkish Studies, and is now affiliated with the Department of Economic History and International Relations since 2021.

The institute is managed by its Director who is appointed by the President of Stockholm University. The Director is employed full-time as a researcher, and charged with managing the institute in accordance with the decisions made by a Board consisting of four Stockholm University Professors together with a Chair.

Board Members

Jakob Hallgren, Chair
Helena Bodin, Member
Mark Rhinard, Member
Isabell Schierenbeck, Member
Jonas Tallberg, Member
Paul T. Levin, Director of SUITS
Magnus Petersson, Head of Department for Economic History and International Relations

The Board meets at least once per semester and approves a budget along with an activity plan as well as the annual report.

For general inquiries: suits@suits.su.se

Director: Dr. Paul T. Levin

Visiting address:
Södra huset, Building A, Floor 2
106 91 Stockholm

Postal address:
SUITS
Department of Economic History and International Relations
Stockholm University
106 91 Stockholm
Sweden

Newsletter

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For press inquiries

The University press service is most effectively accessed via the press telephone number or email address below:

Press contacts:
Press telephone: +46 8 16 40 90
E-mail: press@su.se

Last updated: 2026-01-27

Source: Institute for Turkish Studies